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List of men's national association football teams
Current FIFA affiliates There are currently 208 men's national football teams affiliated to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world's football governing body, through their national football associations. They are eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup and matches between them are recognized as official international matches. Based on their match results over the previous four-year period, the FIFA World Rankings, published monthly by FIFA, compare the relative strengths of the national teams. Each of these national teams is also affiliated to one of the six confederations, according to their continental zones: * Asia - Asian Football Confederation (AFC) * Africa - Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) * North and Central America and the Caribbean - Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) * South America - Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL) * Oceania - Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) * Europe - Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) In addition, 22 Arab nations in Africa and Asia belong to the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) in addition to their own regional confederation. Below is a list of the national football teams by their confederations. Some national teams are full members of their confederation, but do not have membership of FIFA; these are listed with a note explaining this. There are also notes of teams who have left one confederation to join another. AFC (Asia) Due to the geographical size of Asia, the AFC is subdivided into five sub-federations: *West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) - represents nations at the western extremity of the continent. The WAFF has six members, but the AFC groups those non members into a single geographical region. *East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) - represents nations generally agreed to constitute the "far east". *Central and South Asian Football Federation (CESAFA) - represents nations in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. *ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) - represents nations from Southeast Asia, plus Australia *South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) - represents nations from South Asia 1: Formerly member of OFC (joined AFC in 2006) 2: Member of UAFA 3: Official name used by FIFA and AFC for People's Republic of China 4: Official name used by FIFA and AFC for Republic of China (Taiwan); OFC member 1975-1989 5: Official names used by FIFA and AFC; official names used by EAFF are "Hong Kong, China" (a) and "Macau, China" (b) 6: Iran is member of two sub-federations (WAFF and CESAFA) 7: Official names used by FIFA and AFC for Democratic People's Republic of Korea (a) and Republic of Korea (b) CAF (Africa) Due to the geographical size of Africa, CAF is divided into six regional federations: *Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECACAF) - represents nations generally regarded as forming the regions of East Africa and some nations of Central Africa. *Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) - represents nations generally regarded as forming Southern Africa, as well as island states off the coast of Southern Africa. *Union of West African Football Associations (WAFU) - one of two bodies that represent nations in West Africa. *Union of North African Federations (UNAF) - represents nations regarded as forming North Africa. *Union des Fédérations du Football de l'Afrique Centrale (UNIFFAC) - represents some of the nations that form Central Africa. *Union du Football de l'Ouest Afrique - one of two bodies that represent nations in West Africa. 1: Member of UAFA 2: Official name used by FIFA and CAF for Democratic Republic of Congo CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean) The CONCACAF federation is divided into three regional federations that have responsibility for part of the region's geographical area: *Caribbean Football Union (CFU) - represents all nations in the Caribbean *North American Football Union (NAFU) - represents the three sovereign nations of North America *Union Centroamericana de Fútbol (UNCAF) - represents the seven nations of Central America 1: Geographically considered as part of North America, but member of the CFU 2: Geographically part of South America, but member of CONCACAF (CFU) 4: Official name used by FIFA and CONCACAF for United States of America CONMEBOL (South America) * * * * * * * * * * OFC (Oceania) 1: Official name used by FIFA and OFC for French Polynesia UEFA (Europe) 1: Official name used by FIFA and UEFA for Ireland 2: Formerly member of AFC (AFC 1954-1974; Joined UEFA in 1994) 3: Formerly member of AFC (Joined UEFA in 2002). 4: Official name used by FIFA and UEFA for Republic of Macedonia NB: was a provisional member of UEFA between 8 December 2006 and 26 January 2007 until the GFA had its application for full membership rejected. Teams not affiliated to FIFA These national teams are not affiliated to FIFA. Because their national associations are not FIFA members, they are ineligible to enter the FIFA World Cup, and their matches are not recognized as official. FIFA Confederation members These following teams have membership of their local confederations, but are not members of FIFA. The CONCACAF members are full members of their confederation; the other nations are all associate members of their confederation. AFC (Asia) * CAF (Africa) * * CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean) * * * * * OFC (Oceania) * * * * * CSANF The "Consejo Sudamericano de Nuevas Federaciones" is the South American confederation of NF-Board. Full members *Atacameño (Likan-Antay) *Quechua * Juan Fernandez Islands Associate members * Easter Island International Football Union The IFU is an organisation formed with the intention of giving opportunities for national teams and teams of recognised autonomous areas that aren't members of FIFA to play international football. As of October 2009, two national teams have joined the organisation as provisional members. Provisional members * * Currently unaffiliated sovereign nations The football teams that represent the following sovereign nations are not members of FIFA, the NF-Board, or their local confederation: * 1 * * 2 * 1. The Republic of Kosovo was unilaterally declared in February 2008. As of 2010-01-12, 65 countries have formally recognised Kosovan independence 2. The United Kingdom national football team has only ever competed in the Olympic Games (most recently in qualification for the 1972 Games) and in three friendly matches; otherwise, the UK is represented by separate teams for each of its constituent countries. The Marshall Islands are the only sovereign nation state which has no national football team with any records. Former national football teams These national teams no longer exist due to the dissolution of the nation or territory that they represented. Note that this does not cover all changes to national teams - Croatia, for example, is an example of a team that played, was incorporated into another national team, and then reformed when the country regained independence. New names In addition to the unification or dissolution of nations, other nations have been renamed without changing their borders: * → in 1960 → in 1963 → in 1971 → in 1997 * (1918-1939) → Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in 1939 → in 1945 * British Gambia → in 1965 * → in 1966 * → in 1989 * → in 1972 * Middle Congo → in 1960→ in 1992 * → in 1975 * → in 1949 * → in 1975 * French Somaliland → in 1977 * French Togoland → in 1960 * → in 1957 * Irish Free State→ in 1937 * → in 1983 * → in 1975→ in 1979 * Madagascar → in 1958→ in 1975 * → in 1963 * → in 1980 * → in 1964 * Nyasaland → in 1966 * Palestine/Eretz Israel → in 1948 * Portuguese Guinea → in 1975 * → in 1964→ in 1980 * → in 1964 * → in 1917. * → in 1972 * → in 1984 * → in 1996 See also *National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup Sources * List of associations, at FIFA's site * List of associations of almost Football national teams Category:National association football teams